Convergence Zone
by leavesfallingup
Summary: The cast of Dark Moon travels to the United States for the Emmy Awards. Hizuri Kuu, Ren's father invites them to stay on his estate. Will Ren's secret be revealed? And how will Kyoko react?
1. Chapter 1

Convergence Zone

Disclaimer: This series doesn't belong to me.

Teaser: _Due to an unexpected surge of popularity in the United States, the show and several cast members of Dark Moon are nominated for Emmys. The cast is invited to attend the Emmys and to film a one-shot special on U.S. soil. It is only natural for Hizuri Kuu, the original Katsuki, to invite the cast to stay on his estate. Will Tsuruga's secret be revealed?_

Chapter 1 – An Underground Upsurge

As often happens today, it started out on the Internet.

Johnny Holt was the son of August Holt, an international businessman. He accompanied his father to Japan and was spending the evening with the teenaged son and daughter of a Japanese businessman while the adults discussed some multi-million dollar deal. He was actually having fun when suddenly the cute daughter looked at her watch and exclaimed, "It's 8:45 Onii-chan!" Kurei, the older boy, immediately accelerated and began zipping through traffic. Within minutes they were past the gates of his father's estate and up the driveway. The car had barely skidded to a stop when both brother and sister hopped out. "Hyaku!!" the girl shouted, practically dragging Johnny out of the car.

Johnny didn't know what to think as he was dragged to a couch and the siblings plopped down to watch television. He had never been much of a TV watcher, so he felt annoyed that his fun evening should be interrupted like this. It only took a few moments before he was completely captivated by the image of a dark, brooding, but somehow sexy young rich girl as she terrorized another beautiful young girl and a tall, unnaturally handsome older guy. He became so absorbed that he didn't even feel flustered as the cute, teenaged girl next to him practically cuddled up to him in her enthusiasm for relating the details of the first season.

Before the end of the night Johnny had learned a lot more about the show and about the scary, scarred antagonist who seemed more like the star of the show. He had also seen clips of the actress, Mogami Kyoko, as a schoolgirl, a demonic angel, and as a sultry, impossibly sexy bully. He was just as hooked as the two siblings.

Johnny Holt flew home at the end of the week with DVDs of the first season of Dark Moon and a bootleg disk with clips from the young actress' other performances. Within a day of arriving home he had subbed the first three episodes and shot them out to both YouTube and Veoh.

Bored browsers found the episodes. They watched them and told their friends, who told their friends. Within a month of the first posting, "Dark Moon," "Mogami Kyoko," and "Tsuruga Ren" were the top three searches on all of the major U.S. search engines.

The entertainment industry, experts at spotting and adjusting to trends, was quick to catch this upsurge. A little research allowed the trend-watchers of Global Allied Entertainment, Inc. to realize that Dark Moon was a remake of a show filmed twenty years before, starring Hizuri Kuu, Hollywood's most popular action star. This really excited the trend-watchers, and led to several important overseas phone calls. The die was cast.

* * *

If you look up the word "oblivious" in the dictionary, you should find a picture of Kyoko next to it. It wasn't a matter of intelligence; she had more than her share of brains. It was just that Kyoko was totally un-self-aware. She was half-way into the second season of Dark Moon, just wrapping up the first season of Box-R, a veteran of four commercials and three music videos, and currently starting to film two additional dramas, (not to mention that she was Japan's most popular chicken) but she didn't think of herself as a star. Oh sure, she had been complimented for her performances, and she had even been described by some as cute, beautiful, and sexy, but those were just her characters. As much as she loved playing those parts, whenever she stepped away from the characters her mind would see them as other people, not manifestations of herself. The characters might be funny, powerful, beautiful, cute, and sexy, but not her.

Almost any other teenaged actress, especially if she were a fledgling actress with less than two years under her belt, would have had her head turned by her sudden rise to stardom and her exploding fan-base, but not Kyoko. She continued to live above the little restaurant, ride her bike to school and work, and call all of the veteran actors "sempai."

The one defining characteristic that she had from other budding actresses was the fact that she could interact with amazing ease with veteran stars like Tsuruga Ren and executives like Lory Takarada. Which is why Kyoko wasn't surprised at all to see the two power-house men lounging together in the viewing area of Dark Moon. While the rest of the cast members were hovering at a distance, she simply strolled up to the pair and gave a slightly formal bow, "Takarada-Kaicho, Tsuruga-san, good morning. I saw the elephant train outside and thought that you might be here. Sir, what brings you to the set today?"

While Kyoko might have been oblivious in many areas, she had developed a remarkably keen antenna for Tsuruga's temperment. "Tsuruga-san, is everything ok?"

Ren looked pained, but Takarada was the one to answer. Dressed as a maharajah, all in beautifully embroidered silk, he slouched regally back and replied, "I'm just discussing the room and boarding arrangements for your upcoming trip."

"Trip?" Kyoko looked confused and worried, "I wasn't aware that we were taking a trip. I thought all of the filming for the rest of the season was in the studio."

"Mogami-san," a soft voice behind her caught her attention and she turned to find a beaming Director Ogata, "Dark Moon has caught on in the United States. It seems we have been nominated for Best Drama Series by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences," he paused to let that sink in, "and Tsuruga-san has been nominated for Best Actor…"

Kyoko had gotten excited by the first announcement, but she practically lost control at the second. She immediately turned around, grabbed Tsuruga's hands, and then hugged his neck in her excitement. Just as quickly as she had done this she realized what she had done and leapt backwards, red-faced and apologetic. "Forgive me, that was an inappropriate way for me to behave." Then, unable to contain her excitement, she continued, "but, but, that's just wonderful news!"

Lory Takarada raised an eyebrow teasingly at Ren, who was looking at the flustered young girl with a mixture of affection, amusement, and tolerance, "Mogami-san, why don't you let the Director finish?"

Kyoko turned back to the slightly built man in consternation. She bowed, "Director Ogata, please forgive my rudeness. Please continue."

Ogata beamed, "Mogami-san, you have been nominated as well. Best Performance By an Actress."

Kyoko was stunned. In fact, she instantly slipped off into her own little world as her brain held a conference with all of her little demon allies, trying to make heads-or-tails of the director's announcement. Angels, demons, and even Mio and Natsu somehow appeared around the conference table to discuss the problem.

[He said something about some award]. [It's a trick, a trick I tell you!]. [I bet my scar would make half of the actors lose their lunches]. [How marvelous! If we were nominated, that means that someone else who wanted to be wasn't nominated. Hmmm, I bet that hurt.] Whatever the conference in her head, her response in the physical world was predictable, "Hu-u-u-a-ah?!?! What are you talking about?"

Ren and Lory chuckled as Director Ogata went on to explain, "that's right, Mogami-san, you've been nominated. In fact, we have decided to bring most of the cast to Hollywood for the awards ceremony! And while we are there, we are going to film a Dark Moon special in California!"

Kyoko looked back and forth between Ren, Ogata, and the president. Once again, it was Takarada who spoke up, "One more thing, Mogami-san: since you are going to be in Hollywood, Hizuri Kuu and his wife Julie have extended an invitation. They want everyone to stay at their mansion for the visit."

This time it didn't take even a second for Kyoko to understand, "Papa-sensei!! We're going to stay with him!!"

Kyoko was totally unaware how radiantly beautiful her smile was at that moment. She would never have believed that half of the males in the room would be haunted by that smile for the remainder of the day.

Nor was she aware of the concerned frown on Tsuruga Ren's face.

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Note: Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed. Also thank you to those who posted favorite author and favorite story. I made quite a few mistakes in this, so your support is appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

Convergence Zone

Disclaimer: This series doesn't belong to me.

Teaser: _Fuuwa Sho has dominated the Japanese Music Industry with a continuous string of hit songs. Now he has been invited to participate in the International Battle of the Bands in California, at the same time as the Academy Awards. Will he meet Kyoko there? What will happen?_

Chapter 2 – Battle of the Bands

The invitation was extended to Sho through his agency. Fuwa Sho, the top rock musician in Japan, was invited to participate in the Twentieth Annual International Battle of the Bands, to be hosted in Anaheim, California. RSVP as soon as possible.

Sho couldn't help but smirk at the news. Less than a year ago the music industry was discussing his fall as those wanabe copy-cats, Vie Ghoul, tried to use him as a step-ladder to fame. Now almost nobody knew their names and he had held the number-one spot in the Japanese music world with a continuous string of number-one songs.

The only thing that was missing was the person who had dragged him out of his slump and pushed him back to the top. Sho ground his teeth in frustration as his fingers played with the cell phone laying on his chest. He couldn't even admit to himself how desperately he wanted to call her and brag about his latest success. To him she had always been the plain little girl who lived in his house, doted on him, celebrated his successes, and told him how brilliant he was.

It wasn't like the other girls. Fuuwa Sho had always been surrounded by doting girls who drooled over him, first because of his looks and height, then because of his music and stage presence. He had absorbed their praise and adoration as his due, but he hadn't truly valued them. They were just pretty background noise. Only one girl's praise and adoration had ever really had the power to make him feel strong and capable. He had needed that so much that he had asked the girl to follow him to Tokyo (even though he told himself that is was so she could cook and keep house for him).

He hadn't understood his sense of loss even after he had insulted her and driven her away. Oh sure, he missed her excellent cooking and, and… something else that he couldn't identify. But he was confident he could blissfully carry on without her.

That was until she filmed 'Prisoner' with him. The image of her as that angry, beautiful angel was burned forever in his mind. It haunted his dreams and plagued his waking thoughts. Even then he might have been fine until he realized that first Tsuruga Ren, and then Reino from Vie Ghoul were in the competition for her. Until then it had never occurred to him that Mogami Kyoko would ever even look at another man, and he was suddenly worried. An ego like his could not accept the concept that he might be in love with his childhood sidekick. To him she was a possession; she belonged to him and nobody else had the right to approach her. That must be it… it couldn't be anything else.

Shoko Aki stood at the doorway and watched her star fidget with his phone. She knew exactly what he was thinking and she felt a mixture of concern and disgust for Sho. Her mind flashed back to the past: She remembered the day that the plain, strange girl had overheard Sho's characterization of her as a "plain uninteresting maid," She remembered how the girl had suddenly changed into something dark and almost demonic. Then she remembered when the blond girl who had been chosen to play in 'Prisoner' had transformed into the beautiful killer-angel. Finally she remembered how the girl had appeared in Sho's dressing room and confronted him about waffling under to a group like Vie Ghoul. It was clear to her that Fuwa Sho had both underestimated and undervalued the girl, and Shoko thought that he needed to be man enough to set things right.

Shoko was used to male chauvinist pigs in this industry. From a young age her own beauty and grace had both opened doors and closed off her climb to the top. Men wanted women for what they could give to men, but they wanted women to be subservient to their male counterparts. Her own talent as an actress and singer was limited. She had accepted the manager role early so that she could remain around the industry that she loved. But a girl like Mogami Kyoko, who was demonstrating such remarkable insight and ability in so many different areas and at such an early stage of her career was making even male heads spin. Already there were rumors that placed her with male suitors throughout the entertainment industry. If Sho didn't get his act together, apologize, and start treating that girl right, he would lose her forever.

In truth, as much as she was attached to Fuwa Sho as his manager, she liked Mogami Kyoko. That girl was something special.

* * *

The RSVP was quickly returned. Fuwa Sho would attend the Battle of the Bands.

Sitting at her desk, high up among the glittering sky-scrapers of the L.A. skyline, a beautiful and stylish middle-aged lady smiled at the message sent to her by her spy in the rock music industry. Now all that was left was for her to make a phone call to set her plans in motion.

When she had scouted and sponsored Vie Ghoul to consume Fuuwa Sho, she had watched gleefully as his career began to crumble. Then he had somehow recovered and rocketed back to the top with a sickening flood of top hits.

This time she would be successful. She would crush Fuuwa Sho so completely that even his songs would be quickly forgotten. Her smile, as she gazed off across the Pacific Ocean, would have made Mio appear saintly.

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Note: There is no "International Battle of the Bands." It is a fictional event allowing Sho to appear in California at the crucial moment while restricting his time and movements.

Thank you for your reviews.


	3. Chapter 3

Convergence Zone

Disclaimer: This series doesn't belong to me.

Teaser: _The news media is one step ahead of the Dark Moon cast and Kyoko is completely unprepared for the crowds that are waiting for her arrival._

Chapter 3 – An Unexpected Crowd

[AP News: The cast and crew from the wildly popular Japanese hit series "Dark Moon" will land at John Wayne International Airport on September 16, 2009 in order to attend the 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. While in the United States they will also be filming a one-shot special which will air in both the United States and Japan at the end of January.

"Dark Moon" is the story of a family which rose to power and prominence through schemes, lies, deception, and even murder. Now the family is faced with its own destruction as their actions come back to haunt them. This story of hatred and revenge is offset by the touching story of the developing love between two of the key victims Mizuki and Katsuki. Mizuki is played by Itsumi Momose, a rising star in Japanese television and film. Katsuki is played by Tsuruga Ren, a successful actor and model who has been voted Japan's Sexiest Star for the last three years.

Although the story in itself is remarkable, it is Mio, one of the key villains, who has captured the hearts and imaginations of both Japanese and American viewers. A victim of her older sister's jealous rage, Mio bears a horrific scar on her face which becomes her weapon against her own family and against anyone who comes too close. In the beginning of the story Mio is the most visible persecutor of the Mizuki and Katsuki. As the story progresses, Mio is slowly becoming the couple's ally against her corrupt family.

Kyoko, the 17 year old actress who plays Mio, has only been involved in acting for fourteen months and has already gained public acclaim for her roles in commercials, music videos, and in another drama named "Box R." Kyoko also plays a bully in "Box-R," but that character can best be characterized as a sultry, sexy, bored model-type who is a natural leader. According to her acting agency, LME, "Kyoko is a natural method actress who has carefully created each individual character that she has played."

Although there has been an underground movement for years to post Japanese and Korean anime and dramas on the Internet, this drama has been the first to cross the lines into general public mania. Public outcry has led to the early release of the drama with English subtitles. The drama is also being translated into twenty-three other languages set for release this summer.]

* * *

"GOMENNASAI!! Hontoni Gomen Nasai!!" The passengers of first-class were treated to the unusual sight of a frazzled, distraught Japanese teen kneeling in the aisle facing a tall, almost beautiful man.

Before the stewardesses could intervene, the tall man left his seat and reached down to lift up the girl. "Kyoko, you didn't do anything wrong. Now please, before the plane is forced to land, you have to calm down."

Director Ogata, who had been seated next to Ren, quickly got up. "I think that Mogami-san better sit with you for a bit. I'll go take her seat." Before he left first-class, he turned to the girl, "Kyoko-san, (this was the first time that he had ever used her first name alone) we are very proud of you. Nobody holds this article against you." With those words and a gentle pat on her head Ogata stepped through the curtain out of first-class.

Ren gently pulled and pushed the distraught girl into the window seat before he sat down next to her. He kept both of her trembling hands in his two large ones as he tried to calm her down. He was torn between concern for her, joy for the excuse to be close to her and comfort her, and guilt for being an opportunist. "Kyoko-chan, I'm proud of your success. We're all proud of you." He noticed that she was too disturbed to react to his intimate use of her name, "I told you once that the entertainment industry is all about being noticed. This article will be a big boost for your future."

"But… but... it's not right. I'm just a supporting actress. It's not right for them to talk about me and ignore the real actors like you and Momose Itsumi! We need to make them retract the article Tsugura-sempai, we have to…." Ren cut her off by removing his top hand from hers and placing it over her mouth.

Kyoko found herself suddenly getting lost in his eyes. She finally became aware of his hand on her lips and his other hand holding her two hands. With a shock of realization she jerked back in momentary fright. Ren was thankful that she was locked into the window seat. If she had been by the aisle she might have run away screaming. Still, he felt a little hurt that she still reacted so strongly. "Mogami-san, are you okay now?"

His voice soothed her in the way that nothing else could. "Now listen to your sempai: No matter what an actor does, in the end the audience decides. People responded to your Mio. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Now, why don't we talk about something else."

He settled back with a gentle smile, "I know, why don't you tell me about your conversation with Hizuri Kuu-san?"

Kyoko's eyes instantly lit up with excitement, her distress forgotten. Soon she was relating her phone conversation with her surrogate father and teacher. Even as the subject settled her down it brought back all of his hidden uneasiness.

* * *

Kyoko had returned to her seat long before they landed at John Wayne International. Ren debarked hurriedly, hoping to stave off the accidental disclosure of his identity. He was far enough ahead that nobody saw him use his U.S. Passport. As he feared, his mother and father were waiting past the security office. They were disguised from recognition by the general public, but recognizable to him. . As soon as he was past security he met his parents and issued stern warnings for secrecy. Director Ogata was surprised to see the amazingly beautiful woman who must be Hizuri Kuu's wife quickly embracing Tsuruga Ren. By the time that he arrived she had composed herself, but she still kept stealing glances at Ren. Ogata relaxed when he saw that Hizuri was not acting jealous or angry; instead he seemed inordinately pleased.

If Ren was worried about his parents accidentally exposing his secret to Kyoko, he needn't have bothered. As she stepped past security into the loading area, a roaring cheer erupted from the crowd that was gathered on the outskirts. Kyoko was startled by the noise, but she didn't realize the import of the roaring crowd until a group of enthusiastic college girls yelled "Mio, we love you!" and another group of boys started chanting, "Naachan, Naachan!"

She froze in fright until her fellow cast members surrounded her and gently led her to the waiting buses. She spent the rest of the journey to Beverly Hills slumped down in her seat looking like a frightened rabbit. Ren had ridden with the waiting hosts, so he wasn't there to calm her.

* * *

Her discomposure evaporated as her cast-mates gasped in wonder, looking out of the bus windows. She looked through the window to see that they were driving on a long, private drive leading up to a beautiful antebellum mansion. At any other time she would have been in awe of this, but she spotted the tall man standing on the front steps and squealed in pleasure. Unaware of anyone around her, she was hurried to exit the bus. She almost ran up to him, but then stopped herself and gave him a manly bow, "Otou-sama."

Kuu threw back his head for a deep-belly laugh and seized the girl in a bear-hug, "Kyoko-Kuon, welcome home."

The rest of the cast stood stunned at this display. Everything that they knew about Mogami Kyoko told them that she was a poor girl from Japan. Yet here she was being hugged affectionately by the man dubbed by the American press as "The Greatest Action Film Actor of our time." Tsuruga Ren saw their surprise and decided that it would be wise to explain, "Mogami-san was Hizuri-san's manager and personal cook while he visited Japan."

Kyoko was not the slightest bit concerned about her co-actors' reactions. As she stepped back from Kuu, she saw Julie for the first time. Set with a background of the tall marble columns, Kyoko thought that she looked like the most beautiful, queenly woman in the world. Kyoko was instantly lost in faerie-land. Julie had been warned to expect this by both Takarada and Ren. She laughed and stepped down to embrace the enchanted girl before the poor thing fell to her knees in worship. "I understand that you're my adopted son now, Kyoko-chan?"

Ren watched his beautiful mother lead the woman he loved up the marble staircase and had to choke back his emotions. _Please let this work out, _he prayed desperately.

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NOTE: Thank you for your reviews.


	4. Chapter 4

Convergence Zone

Disclaimer: This series doesn't belong to me.

Teaser: _Somehow there is a connection between Fuuwa Sho, Hizuri Kuu, Lory Takarada, and Kyoko. Somehow Sho's mysterious persecutor knows and hates them all._

Convergence Zone: When hot and cold temperatures cross paths, they create a vortex of swirling forces that can develop into a terrible and destructive storm. The beginning of this phenomenon is called a 'convergence zone.'

Chapter 4 – Wind Gusts

Kotonami Kanae didn't know whether to feel exhilarated, irritated, proud or frustrated. Truthfully, she was feeling all of these emotions at once.

She felt exhilarated because she was seated comfortably in LME President Takarada's private Leer jet as it hurtled swiftly towards California.

She felt irritated because of the way that the flamboyant head of her talent agency had swept onto the set of her television series and swept her off on this adventure. He showed up dressed in a suit of armor like Don Quixote, complete with muleteers.

She felt proud because, although she could never admit it to the girl, her best and only dear friend was being honored in California and she had wanted to be there.

And she felt frustrated because she was able to clear her own schedule for this trip so easily. She also knew that it might be years before she herself achieved the status and fame equal to that of the young girl she had first perceived as the 'housewife' type. Surprisingly, she didn't feel jealous of Kyoko. If any other young actress had achieved the same meteoric fame, she might have felt jealous. But she knew something about Kyoko that few others did yet: Kyoko was a genius. Kanae had begun to realize it first after those annoying acting wanabes at the LME Acting School had challenged her to play the role of a hateful sister. She had understood the truth even more clearly after they beat out her own arch enemy for the Kurara Soft Drink commercial. Seeing the girl 'become' a killer angel, Mio, and Natsu had only firmed her absolute conviction that Kyoko had a special gift for acting.

She smiled as she leaned her head back and imagined what the scene would look like when she suddenly appeared in front of her over-demonstrative friend. Oh sure, she would have to act embarrassed and irritated when Kyoko ran across the room screaming "Moko-san!" But the honest truth (if she could ever even admit it to herself) was that her friend's deep enthusiastic joy at her presence made her feel more special than anyone else ever had.

The little, blond, doll-like figure seated across from her didn't feel any conflicting emotions. In Maria-chan's mind only Ren-sama himself was a better actor than the girl with whom she shared so many traits. It seemed only natural and fitting that the rest of the world should acknowledge her Onee-sama.

Her grandfather, Lory Takarada, was overjoyed that two of his favorite LME members were being recognized. Still, he felt torn between trepidation and amusement at the thought that the two youngsters were currently ensconced in the stately manor of Kuu and Julie. He felt this trepidation because he suspected that Julie would somehow blame him if anything went wrong. He felt amused because he would have front-row seats to watch Ren and his secret family dance around the truth in front of Kyoko and the entire cast of Dark Moon. How fun!

And the truth was, he didn't want to miss the Emmy's either. As much as he cared about Ren, Kyoko was his real reason for going. In the short time since he had first seen her make a daikon into a rose, the charter member of the LoveMe group had stolen his heart. She felt like a daughter to him.

* * *

Lory had honestly intended to keep a low profile as the trio travelled to Hizuri's estate. It never occurred to him that being transported in a gold-plated stretch HMMV would attract so much attention.

* * *

Julie had been kicked out of the kitchen by Kuu so that he and Kyoko could prepare the evening's feast. She didn't mind, because her son had remained in the mansion while the rest of the cast and crew frolicked in the Olympic sized pool. It was the first time that she had been afforded the chance to speak privately to her son. She felt inordinately proud of this tall, beautiful young man who had gone off to prove himself without the benefit of parental influence.

But while she wanted to hear all about his life in Japan and his career, what she really wanted to hear about was his true feelings for the unusual and interesting seventeen year old girl. As his mother, she had seen how he couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of her. In his teen years Kuon had never lacked for beautiful girlfriends, but she had never seen that look in his eyes before last night.

"Okay, 'Ren,' (she had promised to never use his true name until he declared his identity) spill."

Ren tried to look nonchalant as he met the gaze of the woman that he had always believed was the most beautiful woman in the world, "Spill? Spill what? I don't follow."

"Don't give me that! A mother knows! Tell me about that girl." Her beautiful eyebrows creased, as she gave him the look that he recognized as her "no-nonsense will be tolerated" look, and sighed.

In truth, it gave Ren a deep feeling of relief to finally relate his entire history with Kyoko to his mother's attentive ears.

Julie frowned as he spoke about meeting the little other-worldly Japanese doll in Kyoto while he was trying to find a place to be alone. She remembered very well that this was the time when Kuon had begun to withdraw and become angrier. Unfortunately, during the visit to Kyoto Kuu had been distracted by fighting off the unwanted attentions of a local beauty who had attempted to get her claws into him. It wasn't until later that either father or mother had realized just how deep his personal struggles had become.

Her heart went out to Kyoko as her son told him about how hurt the little girl had been because of her mother's repeated rejections. Even in the short time that Julie had known the girl, she couldn't imagine any mother not wanting to spend time with her. _Some women don't deserve to be mothers!_

She had to laugh as Kuon related the ups-and-downs of his early relationship with the girl. She frowned with him as he spoke about Fuwa Sho. He told her about how the punk had treated this darling girl. He even surprised himself by admitting how much he feared Kyoko's continued link with the rock star.

She had to hide a grin as her son all but gushed about Kyoko's amazing acting ability. It amused her that both her husband and son, two men who shared such colossal acting talent, could expound so completely about the same gift in this seventeen year old girl. Yet, ever since Kuu's return from Japan Julie had made it a point to watch everything that she could about her "second Kuon." She had to agree with their assessment. The girl really did have something special.

And finally, she felt pride and respect for the way that her son was willing to "take it slow" with the girl and wait until she was truly ready for love again. Not that she, as a doting mother, didn't plan to do a little prompting on her own.

Ren felt totally drained as he finished his account. Only his beautiful mother had ever been able to get him to speak so honestly and freely about his thoughts and feelings.

They adjourned to the kitchen, where Julie marveled at the teenaged girl's cooking skills while Ren just leaned in the doorway and watched Kyoko. If his heart hadn't already been stolen, it would have been now as the girl fairly glowed under the dual attentions of the father and mother that she had never had. He was even more determined than ever that he would make this girl a permanent member of this family.

* * *

High in her office, the woman who had been targeting Fuwa Sho stood and looked out over the LA skyline, stunned by the article that she had just read and the episodes of Dark Moon that she had just watched.

_The last I had heard, she was still following Fuwa Sho around like some love-struck puppy. How in the world did that plain girl suddenly become a television star?_

_And such hateful power! How did that lovey-dovey little faerie-land refugee find that kind of power?_

The most haunting question of all for her came as she thought about the clip of Natsu that she had watched: _Is that girl mocking me?!_

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Note: Thanks for all of you comments. Keep them coming, please.


	5. Chapter 5

Convergence Zone

Disclaimer: This series doesn't belong to me.

Teaser: _After a lesson in composure from her beloved sensei, Kyoko takes her new public persona on the road for a girl's-day-out._

Chapter 5 – Lesson and Practical Application

[The following conversation took place at the same time as Ren was speaking with his mother]

Kyoko gulped back her chagrin as she chopped onions next the man she thought of alternately as her beloved sensei and her surrogate father. "What?"

"I said that I'm disappointed in you," Kuu wore his best teacher frown as he continued, "You still haven't grasped what it means to be an actress."

Kyoko was close to tears, and the demons of self-doubt were circling, so he promptly continued. "You seem to think that you are done being an actress after you step off of the set. A true professional is always prepared. Last night when you stepped off the airplane, you disappointed a big crowd of fans. They were expecting the girl who played strong characters like that angel, and Mio, and Natsu. What they got was a wilting flower, or a scared little rabbit."

It broke his heart to watch Kyoko as she was wilting right in front of him, "but…, but…"

"No buts, Kuon (he knew that she could respond best with him as the character that had drawn them close together). Now that you've learned how to develop your other characters, it's vital that you develop your most important character of all: your public persona."

Kyoko always responded best to strongly worded constructive criticism. She perked up at the idea of a new role, "what do you mean?"

Kuu rolled his eyes at the girl, "Come on, Kyoko. Surely you have realized by now that no true actor or actress walks out into public without a public face? Take your beloved Tsuruga-san for example…" he paused as the girl blanched and started waving her hands in disclaimer.

Kyoko's face was flushed pink. "Please, can you call him my 'most-respected-sempai'? People might hear you and get the wrong idea."

Kuu sighed. Watching his son's attentions last night and this morning had only confirmed his suspicions about the boy's feelings. _Well, it's no surprise that the charter member of Lory's LoveMe section is still not ready for the truth. Best not to push. _"Okay, fine, your sempai. You've been around him long enough and worked with him closely enough to know that his public persona is not exactly the same as his private self, haven't you?"

Kyoko thought about all of the times that she had seen him angry, even furious; especially when it concerned her, Fuuwa Sho, and that punk from Vie Ghoul. His attitude and aura at those times were polar opposite of the kindly, gentlemanly man that the public perceived. "Ahh, yes. I understand."

Watching the interplay of thoughts on Kyoko's transparent face, Kuu had to wonder just how much of himself Kuon had unwittingly revealed to this girl. "Good. Now its past time that you learn to create your own public persona. I have a few ideas…."

In the end, it was Julie who took over and helped Kyoko. First everyone enjoyed the sumptuous feast prepared by the Kuu and Kyoko. Then Julie dragged the Kyoko off to her private office and the two worked for hours on developing Kyoko's newest character.

Tsuruga Ren wasn't the only one who gasped unconsciously as a combination rich girl, model, and kindly demi-princess strode confidently into the grand room later that evening. Ren had more than a few rivals for Kyoko's attention as the evening wore on.

Of course, her persona completely slipped when a beautiful long-haired brunette and a doll-like little curly-headed blond girl were led in by Lory Takarada. "Moko-san! Maria-san!" The real Kyoko yelled as she hurtled across the room to embrace her friends.

Ren just rolled his eyes affectionately at his parents, then stepped up to greet the LME President.

* * *

On the 18th of September, just two days before the night of the Emmys, Julie took Kyoko, Kanae, and Maria out for a girl's day out. The event was carefully leaked to the press, and the U.S. public met Kyoko's new public persona for the first time (Being Kyoko, this new character was naturally named Kyoko-oujo-sama). The press and fans alike were quickly captivated by the vivacious, sexy-but classy rich young lady who flitted joyfully from shop-to-shop with the already famous Julie, a beautiful raven-haired young lady, and the doll-like and also beautiful young girl.

Everyone who saw her concluded that the mousy, timid girl from the other day must not have been the famous Mogami Kyoko after all.

Nobody paid much attention to the stately blond lady in the crowd who melted into the background and smiled a Natsu-like predatory smile.

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Please continue to comment


	6. Chapter 6

**Convergence Zone**

Disclaimer: This series doesn't belong to me.

Teaser: _Sho arrives safely on American soil, and his persecutor begins to hatch her plan to destroy his life and career. But right away her plans begin to fall apart._

**Chapter 6 – A Simple Plan Gone Awry**

Shoko Aki fidgeted nervously as she glanced over the reclining figure of Fuuwa Sho. The plane was beginning its descent towards the California coastline and she feared for what might be waiting for them there.

_Why can't life ever be easy? _She sighed, _Of all of the times for Sho to debut in the United States; it has to happen when Kyoko is already there! Maybe I'll get lucky and they won't run into each other… Yeah, right! Like the gods will take it that easy on me._

He had taken the news of Kyoko's nomination and her presence in Hollywood with surprising unconcern. Shoko honestly didn't know whether she had expected him to be livid over the girl's sudden elevation or eager for the chance to meet her in a foreign setting. Whatever she had expected, it certainly wasn't for him to shrug and go back to sleep. His reactions were never completely predictable when it came to that girl.

But Sho wasn't sleeping. In fact, he hadn't caught a moment's sleep since he read the news about the Emmys. It wasn't the news about Kyoko's nomination that was irritating him like a festering sore; it was the fact that Tsuruga Ren had flown to the United States with Kyoko. He couldn't shake the image of that smug, self-satisfied playboy escorting his Kyoko around to all of the posh places in Hollywood and L.A..

* * *

The first part of plan was simple: Humiliate the boy by making sure that he was treated as a nobody once he stepped onto U.S. soil.

The problem: One of the key performances which had captivated the U.S. Internet users was Kyoko's portrayal of the killer angel in Fuuwa Sho's music video "Prisoner." As a residual effect, Sho's video had been downloaded nationwide and played literally millions of times. While the Japanese music industry was certainly not happy about this, it was propitious for Fuuwa Sho. Unbeknownst to him, Sho was already a popular singer in the U.S. before he ever stepped off of the plane.

Thanks to careful bribes, the news of the arrival of Japan's number one music star was squashed in America. But the Internet is unstoppable, and the news spread online like wildfire. So instead of anonymity, Sho stepped through security and was greeted by a cheering crowd comparable to any he had seen in Japan. His personal concerns forgotten for the moment, he played the crowd like the true star that he was.

While the crowd was pleased, one onlooker was livid to see her plans for "that punk" fall through once again. Perhaps it was the look on her face that made her stand out in the crowd. Sho didn't immediately recognize her, but her face did trigger a quiet query in the back of his mind. It was only in the background, however, and Sho had mostly forgotten her as quickly as he had seen her.

* * *

The second plan: mess with his equipment so that Sho would appear unprepared and unprofessional.

The International Battle of the Bands was being held in at the Convention Center in Anaheim. There were seven stages, set up according to predicted crowd size. Fuuwa Sho and his band were relegated to the smallest of these. Once again, money changed hands behind the scenes to ensure that numerous technical issues would plague the foreigners. Having been assured that the necessary equipment was available, the band had left much of their own at home. As his persecutor had planned, it looked like the first night was going to become a complete disaster.

But there are fangirls, and there are fangirls. Silvia Richards, the teenaged daughter of one key producer of the show, had become a devoted fan of the Japanese Rock idol after attending a concert on her last visit to Japan. When she saw (and heard) the struggles that Fuuwa's band was having with their equipment, she promptly began working behind the scenes to get everything fixed. Normally a soft-spoken girl, she could be a demon when riled. Her temper and her father's name circumvented any malicious plans.

Fuuwa Sho started on-time with fully functioning equipment. The same crowds that had greeted him at the airport were there as the first notes were played. He played deep into the night to a packed house.

Even though there was standing room only, there was one curious circle of empty space around a furious middle-aged woman. Several people swore that they saw little demons flying around her.

* * *

Plan 3: Deliberately set up scantily-dressed fan girls to lure Fuuwa Sho into compromising positions. Make sure that the press catches it all.

Seven months before, this plan would have worked. But Fuuwa Sho had changed after the "Woodstick" incident. While his band members were out partying, Sho was laying sprawled on a couch in his room, fuming uselessly at his phone. Shoko, standing outside of his door, was sufficient to discourage any girls who sought entrance.

The first night ended with Fuuwa Sho: 3, Opponent: 0

* * *

Her night would have been a total failure if she hadn't stopped by her office after the concert. Her staff had strict instructions to flag certain names and to provide her with any news, printed word or televised.

Sitting on her desk was a short blurb about the arrival of the flamboyant LME President, Lory Takarada, and the golden stretch HMMV that drove him to his old friend's house in the Hollywood Hills.

Fuuwa Sho was temporarily forgotten.

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**Notes**: Thank you for your reviews, your constructive criticism, and those who flagged this story as a favorite.


	7. Chapter 7

**Convergence Zone**

**Disclaimer:** This series doesn't belong to me.

**Teaser:** _Short snapshots which will (hopefully) help to fill in the blanks later._

Chapter 7 – Vignettes

Lory Takarada, the epitome of flash and flamboyance, looked studiously nondescript for perhaps the first time in the last decade. He was seated in the darkest corner of a second-rate restaurant. His face communicated a mixture of anger and nervousness.

He had been enjoying a leisurely morning watching daytime dramas in the Hizuri's main guest room when his private cell phone number rang. The pleasurable morning disappeared in a flash when he recognized a voice from the past that he had hoped to never hear again.

He saw her now as she entered the restaurant and followed the receptionist down the aisle towards him. The gazes of the diners were drawn instantly to her as she glided across the worn carpet. She looked as beautiful and deadly as ever. He rose as she approached and lifted a downturned hand towards him. He took her hand and kissed it lightly, barely suppressing the shudder of disgust that he felt at the contact.

"Well if it isn't the King of Love. How are you, Lory?" she asked with a haughty smile.

"Saena. You look as beautiful as ever."

* * *

"Detective DeGarmo, we may have a hit on the Siren," the young man extended a stapled document to the middle-aged woman who typed on her computer at her neat and organized desk. She raised a sculpted eyebrow in surprise and extended her hand for the document. The young man continued to stand nervously as she scanned the information.

It was the last page that finally generated a reaction, "Lory Takarada, Hizuri Kuu, and Mogami Kyoko are all together at the same place where she seems to be spending money like water." She flipped back a page, "Who's this Fuwa Sho person?"

"He's Japan's top rock idol. My daughter and her friends have two of his CDs and she's totally into…" he stopped as she waived her hand dismissively.

"Sergio, what I want to know is what's his connection with Saena and these others. Find that out now, and book us both on the first afternoon flight to L.A."

Sergio nodded and promptly left to pursue his tasks. Renate Analise DeGarmo leaned back in her desk, fingers steepled. After a few moments she reached for the phone and dialed a number from memory. Her fingers tapped impatiently on the headset as she waited.

Finally, "John, how is the FBI treating you these days?"

She listened and laughed lightly, "I shot 40 out of 40 at 50 meters just yesterday. And you?

"Better keep practicing, John. Neither of us are getting any younger.

"I'm going to be in your neck of the woods late this evening and was hoping for some of your time in the morning?

"That's perfect John, seven it is… Well, it seems that we may have a lead on Saena Mogami,… yes, the Siren…. I'll have my assistant email the details… Ok, I'll see you then… I thank you and Interpol thanks you."

* * *

The brain is an amazing tool, even if it's the brain of a rock idol. It can collect millions of random images throughout the day, sort, catalogue, and file them without any conscious planning on the part of the brain's owner. When an unusual, disparate, of somehow confusing image is seen, the brain will return to the image for further review during quiet times, such as during sleep. Sometimes the image remains a puzzle and sometimes the answer is revealed as a sudden epiphany. But most often the answer comes in the form of a dream. Such was the case of Fuuwa Sho on the day in question.

[Dream sequence: _Sho felt helpless and bewildered as he watched Kyoko cry gut-wrenching sobs. Just an hour ago she had been annoyingly happy and excited. _

_Kyoko had been practically glowing as she imagined her mother's joy and praise when she presented her with her latest report card. She had finally done it: straight A's. Surely now her mom would be happy._

_Sho, whose own grades were less than stellar, didn't understand what all the fuss was about. Worse still, something told him that the girl's terror of a mother would still reject Kyoko. The woman was beautiful, but she was also scary, and she didn't seem to like her plain daughter at all._

_As soon as the bus stopped, Kyoko had run off the it and into the Fuwa Hotel to find her mother. She found her in the lobby, pacing back and forth as she conducted a heated conversation on the phone. Fuwa Sho strolled in to see the little pigtailed girl practically dancing in front of her mom. At first she was ignored, but then the lady slammed down the phone and yanked the paper out of her daughter's hands. With barely a glance she balled up the important paper and threw it into the trashcan. Then she grabbed her daughter's shoulders and began to yell, "how many times have I told you not to interrupt me when I'm on the phone. Now get out of my face!"_

_With that, she stalked off to leave a crestfallen little girl standing alone in the large reception lobby. Sho watched her begin her collapse into tears and knew that he couldn't do anything for her._

_Finally, when he couldn't take anymore, he stalked off out of the hotel and into the elaborate gardens. He suddenly veered to the side and concealed himself behind a bush as he heard Kyoko's mother talking to a man. Peering through the leaves, he recognized the man as the famous American movie star who was staying at the luxury hotel on the hill. _

_The man was leaning back in his chair, his long legs stretched nonchalantly to the side as he responded to the woman's angry words. "Saena, you've seen my wife Julie. I'm sorry, but as beautiful as you are, you don't even begin to compare to my love. I haven't responded to your overtures, and I'm certainly not going to respond to your useless attempts at blackmail."_

"_Perhaps," the lady responded in a syrupy, wicked voice, "but I'm here to talk to you about your son. It seems that the young scamp just can't stay out of trouble." She pulled a manila envelope out of her handbag and dramatically opened the flap. "Now, so far you've been able to pay off the press, but I think that there is enough information here to haunt his steps for years to come."_

_She handed one document to the tall man, who was sitting up now, with a cold, angry look on his face. She only gave him a moment to look at the document before snatching it back and tucking it securely back with the other documents. She stood then. "I'll give you twelve hours to think about it. Tomorrow morning I expect a phone call and I expect you to be ready to pay." With that, she strode purposefully and gracefully past the bush where Sho was hiding, a smug look of triumph on her face._

_The tall actor remained at the table, his head resting in his large hands._

_Sho was pondering all of this when he saw Kyoko's mother step out of the room she was renting as an office, lock the door, and stride to the elevator. Their eyes met as the elevator door closed and she gave him a look of disdain. Sho suddenly thought of a way to pay the mother back for the way that she had treated Kyoko._

_The following morning, a weekend, Mogami Saena was screaming in frustration, hurling accusations at Sho's parents. Then she saw Sho watching her from across the lobby. Instantly she flew across the room, grabbing the boy with claw-like fingers as she practically spat her words into his face, "Where is it, you little brat?! Where is the envelope?!" He remained mute, staring up at her with fear and triumph in his eyes, until she reared back and slapped him so hard that he flew back. Before she could attack again Sho's father seized her arms._

_Fuwa-san had never liked the woman, and he certainly wasn't going to let her get away with attacking his son. She was ordered to vacate the hotel immediately. Within an hour she had boxed her goods. She disappeared without paying her bill, leaving her bewildered daughter behind._

_Surprisingly, Kyoko was too busy staring at the odd piece of bluish-purple rock to even worry about her mother's absence. _End of dream sequence]

Sho awoke with a start as his mind showed him the woman who had been scowling balefully at him in the crowd at the airport. There was no doubt in his mind: It was Kyoko's mom.

*

On the same day as Mogami Saena abandoned her daughter and disappeared, a father and his young son departed from Kyoto on the long journey back to the United States. Young Kuon was happy to be heading home, but he couldn't get the young girl who had befriended him off of his mind.

**________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**

**Notes:** comments welcome


	8. Chapter 8

**Convergence Zone**

**Disclaimer:** This series doesn't belong to me.

**Teaser:** _Two of the main characters, Lory Takarada and Fuuwa Sho, are acting unusual. What are the reasons, and what will be the outcome._

**Chapter 8 – Odder than Usual**

[the following events took place on the same day as the previous chapter]

Shooting the Dark Moon special on-location: Disneyland (don't own it), Universal Studios (don't own it), and Hollywood (I think you get the idea).

Plot: Mizuki, Mio and their fellow students are on their annual school trip. This year the students have voted to do the amusement park circuit of sunny California. When Katsuke is chosen as a chaperone Misao wrangles a position for herself. Mio, who has begun to ally herself with Mizuki, manipulates the situations throughout the trip for Misao to be distracted and for Mizuki to snatch moments alone with Katsuke. It is unclear at this point if Mio is doing this to help Mizuki or hurt Misao.

Even in September, with U.S. schools back in session, there were plenty of visitors to California Land. But the park officials had long since learned how to control crowds for filming events. This allowed the cast and crew of Dark Moon to move with relative ease through the sprawling park. Nevertheless, once the stars of Dark Moon were recognized by both Japanese tourists and U.S. college-age visitors, there was crowd gathered for each shoot.

Director Ogata, having met Maria-san and Kotonami-san, was quick to pull them in as extras in several of the ride sequences.

Both Kuu and Julie had a full work schedule, but Lory Takarada spent the day shadowing the crew. Nobody would ever have accused the LME President of being "normal," but today he was odder than usual. Because of their direct connection with him, Ren, Kyoko, Kanae, and Maria gravitated to him in between takes. On most occasions in the past when he would appear on-location, the flamboyant president would make comments, give advice, and throw in the occasional comment, all while gazing at his stars with possessive pride. But today he seemed to have eyes only for Kyoko.

Yashiro Yukihito was always observant when it came to his actor's love-interest. He was the first to notice the president's odd focus on Kyoko. "Um, Mr. President… is there something wrong with Mogami-san? You seem to be staring at her quite a bit today."

Lory Takarada shook his head and took a deep breath before replying. "Not at all, Yashiro-san, not at all. In fact, she's absolutely wonderful."

Yashira didn't know how to answer to that. He chose to remain silent instead. For the remainder of the morning the president's face seemed to switch from beaming, to deeply troubled, and then to affectionate.

Kyoko herself always seemed to have a special feel for when others were troubled. She approached him during a long break in her scenes to inquire into his health. "Takarada-Kaicho, is everything all right? You don't seem yourself today." Even though the tall exotic man was the stern and feared leader of her talent agency, Kyoko's extended interactions with him through Maria-san had allowed her to relax around him. She knew how deeply he loved his granddaughter, and that made him seem like a father figure to her.

Lory looked at her affectionately, "No, no, I'm fine Kyoko-chan. In fact, I was wondering about your schedule late this evening. Do you think that you could pull yourself away from the young people to spend some time talking with me?"

Kyoko gave him a slightly confused look. Then she quickly bowed and replied, "I would be honored, Takarada-san."

* * *

It was perhaps the memory of his first act on behalf of Kyoko as a child that became the catalyst for Fuwa Sho to make the most difficult decision he had ever made.

In fact, it was such a difficult decision that it is necessary for the reader to understand the sequence of thoughts that led Sho down this fateful path. After he was fully awake from the dream about his childhood, Sho paced the floor of his capacious suite endlessly, muttering incoherently at times and passing his cell-phone back and forth between his hands.

_I have to tell her. _

_No, what are the chances that they'll meet? _

_Don't be stupid, Shotaro; anybody who reads the news knows that she is in town. _

_But there are millions of people in this town. Besides, that dragon lady never cared about her before; why would she bother now?_

_Because she's famous now. She's not just some poor, plain little brat._

_What difference does that make?_

_Because now that woman has the capacity to hurt Kyoko. I don't know how, or why, but she wouldn't hesitate to hurt her if it could put a dollar in her pocket._

_But Kyoko doesn't listen to you, and you can't stay around her and protect her twenty-four hours a day._

The answer was there, but it took him another hour before he finally accepted it as his only workable choice.

Shoko was surprised when Sho stuck his head out of his room a full hour before he normally would have done so. She was dumbfounded when he requested her to locate the number of Tsuruga Ren's manager.

* * *

Yashiro and Shoko looked at each other nervously and shrugged. Neither of them had a clue. They stood, blocking the entrance of a long, empty corridor on the grounds of Universal Studios while their charges faced off on the other end of the corridor.

Tsuruga had known that Fuwa was in California, but he had hoped against hope that the man wouldn't make an appearance. He couldn't help but curse the ribbon of fate that seemed to always draw this punk and Kyoko together. The last few months had allowed him to be honest enough to admit that he loved the girl deeply. Still, he was very afraid that this younger man would somehow worm his way back into her life.

Fuwa Sho, on the other hand, envied and hated this older man because of his constant proximity to the girl he loved. He had seen the looks that Kyoko unwittingly gave to this hyped up, two-bit actor, and it drove him mad. Now that he was face-to-face with the man, he wasn't sure that he could go through with his intention.

"Well? You called me here, would you care to explain why?"

Sho couldn't help but rub in his greater knowledge about Kyoko, "I'll get right to it. Has Kyoko said anything to you about her childhood, or her mother?"

Ren raised an eyebrow. "I don't think that it is appropriate to discuss Mogami Kyoko's past without her permission."

"Ohh, so she hasn't told you anything?" Sho attacked verbally.

Ren couldn't let it pass, "I know that Kyoko's mother could never be satisfied. I know that she was beautiful and self-centered. I know that she didn't seem to care about the girl at all. I know that she abandoned Kyoko at an early age. What else would you like me to tell you?"

Sho ground his teeth, surprised and alarmed that Kyoko had already spoken so freely about her past with his rival. After the age of twelve, when she finally accepted that her mother wasn't coming back to get her, Kyoko had never mentioned her once in his presence.

Ren was becoming impatient, "Did you call me away to play twenty-questions? If so, I should be heading back now."

"NO," Sho blurted out so explosively that Ren stiffened to block a blow. The two managers looked on in alarm, but Sho just looked down in frustration and shame and said quietly, "I need your help."

Ren didn't think that he heard correctly, "I'm sorry, but what did you just say?"

Sho spoke through clenched teeth, "I said that I need your help." He forced his jaw to relax as he continued, "Kyoko's mother is in town."

Ren didn't know whether to be more startled by the announcement or Fuuwa Sho's request for help. "Why is that bad?" He wanted to ask other questions, but that one leapt to the forefront of his thoughts.

"Because Mogami Saena isn't just a bad mom. She's a blackmailer for sure, and possibly much, much worse. She doesn't care about Kyoko, but she wouldn't hesitate to use her."

Ren remained silently thoughtful for a few moments, worrying about Kyoko first before getting stuck on a nagging question, "But why are you telling this to me? Why not speak directly to Kyoko-chan?"

It visibly hurt Sho to say his next words, "because she will listen to you, and I'm not in a position to protect her."

Ren looked at the younger man with a feeling of growing respect. In truth, he didn't know if he could have done the same thing in reverse, and it bothered him. "Thank you for telling me. I will do all that I can to protect her."

Sho had reached his limit, and he reverted to sarcasm, "Don't thank me, I'm not doing any of this for you! You just make sure that she stays safe until a real man can step in and take over." And with that, he stalked off with Shoko following on his heals.

Ren felt slightly mollified by Sho's childish parting shot. A mature, responsible Fuuwa Sho might be a much more powerful rival.

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Notes: comments welcome


	9. Chapter 9

**Convergence Zone**

**Disclaimer:** This series doesn't belong to me.

**Teaser:** _Kyoko's recent success and her new friendships have allowed her to begin moving away from her troubled past. How will she react when the past kicks down the door of her present?_

**Chapter 9 – A night of revelations**

It had been a wonderful day. After the all of the scheduled scenes had been shot, the cast spent an hour getting special make-up done to change their appearances (courtesy of Director Ogata and President Takarada). That allowed them to move around the park with the regular crowds and enjoy an unseasonably warm afternoon riding the rides and watching the shows. Ren, Yashiro, Maria, Kanae, and Kyoko hung as a group. Kyoko enjoyed riding with everyone, but she especially enjoyed it when her tall, handsome sempai was seated next to her. Oblivious as always, she never noticed how often Yashiro and Kanae arranged for this to happen. Ren recognized it, but he chose to ignore the manipulation and just reap the benefits.

Besides, he felt that he needed to stay close to her just in case the unlikely happened: Kyoko's mother making an appearance. He had no idea what the woman might look like. He felt nervous whenever a middle-aged Japanese woman came near. Since there seemed to be a large number of Japanese tourists in the park on that day, he was too jumpy to completely enjoy his time with the girl who now owned his heart.

Nevertheless, Kyoko was having so much fun that he didn't want to tell her about her mother until after their day at the park concluded.

Kyoko's Ren-meter was pinging as the cast rode down I-5 on their way back to the Hizuri residence. While she didn't sense the anger that sometimes boiled so terrifyingly beneath the surface, she did sense that something was troubling him. "Tsuruga-san, is everything all right?"

His first natural instinct was always to cover over his feelings with his brilliant fake smile; he fought back that instinct when he saw that cute, concerned look on her face. "Mogami-san, when we get back to the residence, would you take a walk in the garden with me?"

Just as had happened too often lately, Kyoko found herself falling into his eyes. His look at this moment was neither that of the hidden devil nor the Emporer of the Night; it was sincere, warm, and caring. For Kyoko it was the most devastating and debilitating look of all.

"Kyoko?" Ren prompted for her response.

This time she neither jumped back nor screamed in terror; she simply shook herself and composed her face, "Of course, sempai. Anything that you need."

* * *

Neither person noticed that the rest of the passengers of the bus deliberately kept their distance as the two walked towards the gardens. Perhaps it was because Kuon was home, or perhaps it was because of the way that he had unburdened himself to his mother; whatever the reason, Ren had been much more obvious about his feelings toward the seventeen year-old than he knew. Most of the cast members had harbored suspicions; now they were completely convinced.

Kanae, watching the couple walk away, looked down and was surprised to see Maria actually smiling. Given the situation, she had expected histrionics and accusations when the spoiled little girl realized that Tsuruga Ren was in love with Kyoko. Maria was famous for showing up on the sets of Tsuruga Ren's films and terrorizing the actresses who were trying to attract the tall man's eye. But now she was remaining silent; even smiling.

"Maria-san, is it ok?" Kanae asked in an uncharacteristically gentle voice. She had never done well around children, but she felt surprisingly tender towards the little girl at that moment.

Maria looked up at the long-haired brunette and met her tender gaze with an open, frank, expression of peace, "Its ok. I'm not blind. I've seen the way he looks at her a million times." Her look became slightly fierce for a moment, "If it was any other girl, I would destroy her," once again her look became gentle, if slightly teary-eyed, "but it's okay if it's Onee-sama." Many more words were left unsaid by the usually outspoken little girl, but Kanae understood.

She was having an internal struggle of her own. She had fought the idea of Kyoko's friendship tooth-and-nail. Once she had succumbed, the friendship became a defining element of her existence. It has been the struggle of best-friends throughout history to watch a love-interest take first-place in a friend's life. She wanted Kyoko to be happy, but she felt an aching in her chest as well. _Mo! That's why I never wanted a friend in the first place!_ Still, she wished Kyoko the best as the girl was led off towards the gardens.

Of course, what Tsuruga-san had to say had nothing to do with what everyone who was watching them thought that he meant to say. While they strolled, his anxiety mounted. Now he was almost wishing that Fuwa Sho had told her himself. Kyoko looked so enchanted by the beauty around her as they strolled through the perfectly orchestrated garden that it hurt him to be the one to destroy the atmosphere.

Finally he squared his shoulders and led her to a white-washed gazebo. He motioned for her to sit, and then sat on the next bench, turning his body to face hers. The setting was so perfect that Ren had to fight back the urge to make a confession of his love. Instead, he asked Kyoko the question that shattered her peace in an instant, "Mogami-chan, have you heard anything from your mother?"

The demons were back. They swirled around Kyoko in a cloud of remembered despair, reproach, and rejection. Had it not been for the many new friends who had surrounded her with love and acceptance in the past year, she might have closed off completely. Instead, she met Tsuruga Ren's eyes with a hurt expression, "Why are you asking me this, Tsuruga-sempai?"

"Because, Kyoko-chan, she has been seen in this area yesterday."

Kyoko's eyes widened in a mixture of longing and horror. No matter how bad a parent is, most children still feel some level of bond to him or her, even into adulthood. Kyoko had spent her childhood seeking her mother's acceptance. Now her internal conflicts threatened to overwhelm her completely.

Ren was experienced enough with Kyoko to know that it was best to just sit with her in silence. More than ten minutes had passed before Kyoko lifted her head and asked the question that had hovered in the back of her mind. "How do you know that my mother is here in California?"

Ren had steeled himself for that question, but it still bothered him slightly to answer, "Fuuwa Sho met with me and told me. He was afraid that you might not listen to him, and he wanted me to be there to protect you."

"Shotaro?" She felt so numb that the name didn't even excite any demons. Ren winced at her familiar use of his rival's name. After a long, thoughtful pause, "But why would you need to protect me? It's not like she abused me." The dark aura around her was spreading as she spoke again, "It's not even like she would ever take the time to see me."

After a few more minutes spent in silence, she shook herself to clear her head and stood. "Well, anyway, I promised Takarada-san that I would meet with him this evening. I had better find him."

Ren stood with her, and they walked silently through the garden and into the mansion.

Yashiro was sitting in a chair in the foyer, watching impatiently for the two young people to return. When he turned a sickeningly hopeful expression on Ren, Ren made it clear with his eyes and look that it wasn't a good time for questions. They found Lory in the library. When Ren made to leave, Lory waved him back, saying, "No, Ren, I think that you had better stay, as moral support for Mogami-san."

Kyoko looked startled, but concluded, "Is this about my mother? Tsuruga-san has already told me that she's here in California."

Lory's eyes widened as he regarded Ren speculatively, "No, not exactly. Would you have a seat, please."

As they sat on the couch that he had motioned to, Kuu and Julie also entered. Ren watched their faces and decided that they must already know what the "boss" was going to say. They were both snatching glances of worry and compassion at Kyoko.

Lory Takarada was a performer at heart, so he naturally and unintentionally slipped into the role or a storyteller as he began to speak:

"I have always loved beautiful women. When my wife was alive, I never looked away from her. She was my life and my reason for living. After she died, I couldn't even see or think straight for a long time."

He paused, and met the eyes of both Kuu and Julie. "It was only because of my dear friends that I was able to pull through that time.

"About two years after my wife's death, I found myself captivated by a young actress who just seemed to come out of nowhere and nailed one role after another. LME had been flagging for a while, due to my neglect and due to the fact that my star actor," he looked at Kuu significantly, "had decided to leave and start all over in Hollywood. It was this young lady who finally got me interested in LME again, and I quickly fell in love with her."

There was a long pause, and somehow the mood of the room changed. "But the young lady was not what I thought that she was. Soon after we started dating she began working behind the scenes to take my company away from me. I was in love and oblivious, but my people were loyal, so they brought her actions to my attention. At first I refused to believe them; I even lost several friends due to my attitude. But I slowly began to recognize and accept the truth. I broke it off with her, but not before she had embezzled a lot of money from me.

"We had lived together for several months, and I had fully intended to make her by bride. After she left I never heard from her again, although I have heard of her from time-to-time; though that is not my story to tell."

There was a long pause, and everyone in the room could feel the electric charge of suspense as Lory Takarada prepared himself for his next words.

In the first chapter of this story, I made mention of the fact that Kyoko was the epitome of the word "oblivious." In my defense, I also cited her intelligence. So it might come as a surprise to you that Kyoko had spent the first few minutes of the president's story wondering why he needed to tell her this tale. Even for a young lady as new to dramas as Kyoko, the answer was obvius.

As Lory Takarada prepared to continue, Kyoko spoke softly, "Your talking about my mother, aren't you?"

Lory regarded her tenderly, along with Kuu and Julie. Ren reached over and covered her hand with his own. "Yes, Kyoko-chan. I'm talking about your mother."

"And that would make you?"

"Your father."

* * * * * *

Notes: I know that somebody will take exception to this twist in the story. It just seemed like the two people who are most like Kyoko in this manga are Takarada and Maria; Lory Takarada because he lives on a different plane of existence from his fellow man, almost his own fantasy world, and Maria because she and Kyoko share such an interest in the spirit world.


	10. Chapter 10

**Convergence Zone**

**Disclaimer:** This series doesn't belong to me.

**Teaser:** _Two of the main characters, Lory Takarada and Fuuwa Sho, are acting unusual. What are the reasons, and what will be the outcome._

**Chapter 10 – The bloodhound**

Detective DeGarmo stepped out of the boarding tunnel and immediately keyed the power button for her cell phone. Sergio Fabriani was close on her heals, keying his own phone and searching his suit coat for his passport.

"Analise!" A handsome older man in a tailored, perfectly creased suit made his presence known.

"John, you're looking as handsome as ever," man and woman hugged, and then she stepped back. "I wasn't expecting to see you until tomorrow morning?" The statement was delivered as a question.

"Analise, you are still as beautiful as when we worked together," John Murphy stated with perfect sincerity. "I'm picking you up because things are moving faster than we thought. Once you let us know that the Siren was in the area, we were able to put together the pieces of a puzzle that my agents have been working on. I know that you're tired, but I would like you to go over some information with me while Sergio collects your bags and my driver takes you to your hotel."

Just then Detective DeGarmo's phone finished powering up and it buzzed to tell her that she had a message. As she stopped to listen to it her eyes communicated surprise, and then calculation. Both men watched her curiously as she finished listening and snapped the cell phone shut. "John, I think that we have a lead on exactly where the Siren will be at 10 am tomorrow."

* * *

Many fatherless children daydream about finding their father someday. In their dreams he is often a hero, a general, the president of a country, a millionaire, etc. After all, why settle for anything less than the best for your imaginary father? Kyoko, as the queen of imagination, had spent many hours dreaming up the possibilities. In recent months her imaginary father had begun to look much like Hizuri Kuu. But not even her most exotic imaginary fathers had looked like Lori Takarada. It wasn't that he was unacceptable to Kyoko; it was more like he was unimaginable.

Kyoko had thought of him in the capacity of a father, of course. She had seen him with his son and as the loving and devoted grandfather of Maria. But she had never thought of him as a possible father for herself. So she must be forgiven if she just sat there with her best deer-in-the-headlights look for what seemed like an interminable period. It should also be noted that Ren had a similar bewildered look on his face, if not for as long

Lori Takarada normally looked regal and in control, the master of all that he surveyed. But during this long wait he fidgeted and fretted, torn between a multitude of conflicting emotions.

Finally, her distant, confused gaze began to clear up and she asked, in a surprisingly calm voice, "Can I hug you?"

After that the two were completely absorbed into a world of their own. Ren and his parents silently made their exits.

* * *

"How long have you known?" Ren asked. He was still numb from the announcement.

"The Boss told us after he left you guys at the amusement park. He just found out this morning. All of this time and he never knew. But there's more, Kuon."

The way that his father had slipped and used his real name, and his tone of voice, raised immediate alarms in Ren's mind. "What else?"

His mother answered, "That… that 'mother' didn't tell Lory so that he could finally meet his daughter. She told him so that she can blackmail both of them."

"How can she possibly…" and then he stopped himself mid-sentence. Of course! It was obvious. If the press found out about their relationship and published the information, then everyone would assume that Mogami Kyoko's rapid rise to fame was all orchestrated by her father. Nobody would believe that they had just discovered their kinship. Kyoko would receive the same treatment as he himself had received as the son of Hizuri Kuu.

All of the rage that was a part of Hizuri Kuon exploded through the thin veneer of his self control and showed on his face and in his voice, "But she's her mother! How could she do that?! Doesn't she understand what she would be doing to her daughter?!"

Julie, as the only one of the three who was still in full control, answered, "Yes, Kuon, she understands. And no, she doesn't care in the slightest."

* * *

Lori Takarada had just finished having the same conversation with his daughter.

Even though Kyoko knew her mother had never loved her, it still hurt that she could use her so callously. But, typical of the girl, it was her newly discovered father who she was most concerned about.

"What is she asking for? What if she tries to take all of your money? Your company? I can't let that happen! I'm not worth ruining LME! I'll just make the announcement myself! I'll…"

"Stop." One simple word and Kyoko stopped ranting. "Don't ever say that you are unworthy again. You are my daughter. But more importantly, you are Mogami Kyoko. You are a wonderful, talented, caring young lady who any decent man would be overjoyed to call 'daughter.'" Lory Takarada, at his most commanding, looks like the emperor of the world. That is how he looked at that moment, and Kyoko was too captivated to continue.

"Now, you need to relax. I have contacts who can help, and I have a plan. But while I wait for an important phone call, don't you think that there is somebody else who would like to know that she has an aunt?"

"Maria-chan! I'll go and get her!"

"Not necessary. Kanae has her waiting for us in the rec. room." He rose up on his long legs and politely extended an arm. "Shall we proceed, daughter?"

Kyoko beamed as she laid a dainty hand on his arm and did her best ojou-sama impression. "Yes, father, let's."

* * *

As expected, Maria-san was ecstatic about the news. While the two girls danced around and Kanae looked on in amazed bemusement, Lori answered his phone. "Detective DeGarmo! How nice of you to return my call…"

* * *

Fuuwa Sho's performance on the first night had been so well received that Scott Richards, the most prominent producer of the International Battle of the Bands (and the father of Silvia Richards (see chapter 5)) moved him up two stages. The men who had been bribed to sabotage Sho did nothing further. The lady who had contacted them seemed to have lost interest.

For the second night in a row he played to packed crowds. His star continued to rise.

* * * * * * * *

**Notes**: Thank you for your reviews, your constructive criticism, and those who flagged this story as a favorite.


	11. Chapter 11

**Convergence Zone**

**Disclaimer:** This series doesn't belong to me.

**Teaser:** _The players on the chess board begin to converge._

**Chapter 11 – The Bloodhound and the Siren**

Even for the FBI, 7am is early for a meeting. But everyone was wide awake this morning as Director John Murphy and a very attractive, olive-skinned lady of about thirty-five years walked to the front of the briefing room. Another olive-skinned stranger was already up there, working with the tech-guy to attach a laptop to the sophisticated display system.

John Murphy was a commanding figure whose slightly graying temples gave an added touch to his authority. He began the morning with his deep, rich, baritone voice, "Let's get started. Everyone should have read the brief in front of you by now. I'm going to ask Senior Detective Renate Analise DeGarmo of Interpol to conduct the first part of this briefing and to answer any questions.

"The gentleman who is running the AV for her is Sergio Fabriani. Most of you remember the Hollander case?" There were heads nodding throughout the room, "Well, Sergio is the man who finally cracked that case and stopped the smuggling ring."

The agents looked at the man with new respect. Something in the Director's tone had suggested that he had more to say, so they waited expectantly, "Sergio is training to be Detective DeGarmo's replacement for when she finally consents to marry me."

The agents chuckled nervously. In the age of sexual harassment lawsuits, Directory Murphy was walking on a razor's edge. Detective DeGarmo was unfazed as she smiled seductively, "I've already told you, John: on the day that you can outshoot me, I'll say yes."

Now the agents laughed. The Director spent hours each week at the range. He was one of the best shots in the FBI. Now they knew why he was working so hard to improve.

Director Murphy cleared his throat, "Shall we get started, ladies and gentlemen?" With that the room became serious again.

A series of pictures and documents were displayed as she spoke, "This is Mogami Saena, the person you know as the Siren.

"First, a brief history: Saena was an aspiring actress on the Japanese scene about eighteen years ago under the stage name of Sayako. She was recognized specifically for her uncanny ability to 'become' whatever character she was asked to portray. Her favorite types of characters were sexy and powerful women.

"Perhaps it was through acting that she discovered that she had the ability to wrap powerful and rich men around her fingers and manipulate them in any way that she chose.

"This man is Lory Takarada, the president of the prestigious Japanese talent agency LME. He was her first victim. She attached herself to him and proceeded to embezzle everything that she could from him. She was sloppy that time and got caught, so she disappeared.

"Interpol has long suspected, and now confirmed, that the product of that relationship was this girl," a picture of the young Kyoko was displayed, "who some of you probably recognize from one of these images?" Three pictures were displayed side-by-side of Kyoko as an angel, Mio, and Natsu. There were gasps of recognition. One of the younger agents whispered, "that's Kyoko! She's hot!"

There were chuckles throughout the room. The young agent blushed as he realized that his voice had carried. Detective DeGarmo gave the man a dimpled smile of tolerance, "A great many men, and not a few women, in Japan and the U.S. would agree with you. As some of you obviously know," she paused for the chuckles to die down, "Kyoko is here with the cast of Dark Moon to attend the Emmys. While she is here, she and the others are staying at the home of this man," the image of Hizuri Kuu was displayed, and everyone recognized him.

"Saena also tried to get her claws into him, but she was unsuccessful. Around that same time, she skipped Japan and took her schemes international. That is when she started to expand her operations. She continued to use her feminine whiles to seduce and control powerful men, but she also began branching out into the types of operations that brought her to the attentions of Interpol and the FBI, not to mention other agencies."

The next picture was of a troublesome third-world dictator and drug lord, "Our Saena somehow made connections with this man, President for Life Jose Emanuel Mokato. She found out that she was very good at greasing the wheels to get certain illegal operations running smoothly. In the last five years she has been behind the movement of numerous arms and drug shipments that have helped to fund the operations of Mokato and several others.

"Just yesterday we discovered that the Saena was here in California. She has apparently been trying to damage the reputation of one Fuwa Sho, the top Japanese Rock star. It seems that he is a childhood friend of Kyoko, and he might have had something to do with thwarting one of her early schemes. When we found out that Lori Takarada, Hizuri Kuu, and Kyoko are all here as well, we knew that she would probably make an appearance.

A hand was raised, "It sounds like this Kyoko has her mother's talent. Could she be an accomplice?"

"Unlikely. First of all, Saena abandoned her daughter at the age of twelve. In fact, I found out last night that neither father nor daughter knew about their relationship until early yesterday morning, when Saena met with Takarada to reveal her information and demand a payment for her silence." This produced a negative reaction from the fathers and mothers in the room.

"After Director Murphy and I spoke yesterday, your office put together the pieces of a puzzle that has helped you to locate a shipment of drugs and arms which is currently sitting on a freighter at the docks. I have received information that Saena will meet for a second time with Takarada at ten this morning. The Director already has agents in-place at both locations.

"Before I turn this over to Director Murphy, are there any questions?"

One hand was raised, "Why is Mogami Saena being named 'The Siren'."

"Good question. It might have started because of her seductive singing and speaking voice. But it stuck because she has never been content just to steal from people. Just like in the myth of the beautiful women who lured ships onto the rocks, she likes to leave a path of destruction behind her. Her blackmail of Takarada and her daughter are perfect examples. She doesn't need his money anymore. She just wants to destroy him. John?"

Director Murphy stepped up, "Take that as a warning, ladies and gentlemen: this lady enjoys causing destruction. Don't assume that she'll be easy to catch just because she's beautiful."

A few people picked up on the final play on words and chuckled. DeGarmo just smiled, "Maybe you'd better stay here and practice shooting while we go take care of her."

Director Murphy blushed as the room erupted into laughter again.


	12. Chapter 12

**Convergence Zone**

**Disclaimer:** This series doesn't belong to me.

**Teaser:** _What will happen when Saena meets Lori? Is it really a good idea for Kyoko to come along?_

**Chapter 12 – A drama in one act and a moment of clarity**

Up until this point in her life, few people had looked past the soft, meek exterior of Mogami Kyoko to see the iron will at her core. It was that iron will that helped her to learn her difficult lessons as the future "lady of the inn." It was that iron will that kept her strong while she worked three jobs and kept house for an ungrateful Fuuwa Sho. It was that iron will that gave her the strength to perform a perfect tea ceremony while kneeling on a broken foot. And it was that iron will that helped her to reach deep inside and find the characters that propelled her to early stardom.

Now that iron will was confronting a flustered Lori Takarada. Until now only his deceased wife and, occasionally, Julie Hizuri had been able to back this powerful man into a corner. Now he had met a third person, in the form of his newly discovered daughter.

He realized belatedly that it was a major mistake to relate the details of his planned meeting with Saena. He had intended to comfort Kyoko with the idea that, with the help of Interpol, her mother would no longer be in a position to do her any harm. Instead she was insisting that she go along. Not even the dual opposition of Kuu and Ren had made an impact.

"I'm going, respected father." Her use (in Japanese, of course) of the most formal address was a demonstration of her unwavering determination. She did not wish to offend Takarada, but she also did not intend to be deterred. "That woman abandoned me, and now she comes back into my like just to black mail me. I spent my childhood just trying to earn one milligram of her respect; now she is going to acknowledge what I have made of myself without her."

The argument must have struck a chord. First Ren, then Kuu, and finally Lori himself bowed to her will.

* * *

Senior Detective DeGarmo was a strong woman as well. She didn't like it, but she couldn't bring herself to argue with Kyoko on her decision. _Maybe she'll be enough of a distraction that it will be easy to grab Saena._

Still, she felt uneasy about this change in plans. Part of the problem might have been that Kyoko had arrived at the staging area in her newly crafted public persona. The male agents were more than a little distracted by the young Japanese lady's presence.

Things were made worse by the fact that father and daughter had come with a very large shadow. Tsuruga Ren had only consented to Kyoko's demands on the condition that he be allowed to remain close. Ren was impossibly handsome all of the time. But his current stone-cold expression was perfectly suited to make the hearts of the young female agents swoon. _This is becoming a circus._

Five minutes before the agreed time, father and daughter strolled into the restaurant and walked back to the same seats as Lory had used before. More than a few heads turned at the arrival of the handsome pair.

Agents of all ages, shapes, and dress were strategically placed throughout the dining area. They had arrived at different times and ordered differently, ensuring that the brunch traffic looked perfectly ordinary.

Saena walked in just as she had done before. Five years of playing in dangerous waters had made her an extremely cautious woman. She quickly and professionally scanned the restaurant, but didn't find anything wrong. As she turned to walk down the aisle towards Lori's table she froze.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it can never truly show the viewer all of the fascinating and muriad images and feelings that a face-to-face meeting can. The last time that Saena had seen her daughter in person the girl had seemed to be a sniveling attention-hungry brat. Saena had always been disappointed that her daughter had shared none of her own sultry beauty. In short, she had always envisioned her as a plain, ordinary, and uninteresting waste of space; until that moment.

The girl who sat next to Lory now was anything but ordinary. She had short-to-medium length blond hair. She was dressed as a moderately well-off, stylish older teen. She sat her chair with perfect posture. But none of these things made any impact of Saena. It was her aura, her attitude, the strong spirit inside of her that seemed to radiate out from every pore of her svelte young body and made her beautiful. Saena knew before she ever reached the table that she had been overmatched by the daughter who she had always disregarded.

The normally confident and domineering woman displayed definite signs of nervousness as she sat facing her daughter and the man she had once sought to rob of everything. Still, she tried to establish control, "Lory. Kyoko. I trust that you are ready to meet my demands?"

Public persona-Kyoko replied in a controlled and sophisticated voice, "Now, mother, aren't you even going to ask how I've been? We haven't seen each other for such a long time."

Saena felt herself being overwhelmed by this stranger masquerading as her daughter. "Kyoko, I don't have time for that! Now Lory, I need you to answer my…"

"Mother, since you aren't in a relationship with my father anymore, don't you think that it is more appropriate to speak to him in a polite form of address?"

It should be noted that Lory Takarada, who had been nervous only moments before, was now thoroughly enjoying the sight of Kyoko overpowering the arrogant woman who had tried to do so much harm to both of their lives.

Saena's own carefully crafted mask was falling now, for the first time in almost twenty years, "Polite! Don't give me that, you little brat! If you don't give me what I want, everyone will find out about you before this day is over! Your pretty little career will be over and you'll be back waiting tables for those pathetic Fuwa's!!!"

It was Agent Jeff Parker, the same one who had commented on Kyoko during the morning brief, who broke protocol. Made nervous by the outburst, he unintentionally "cleared" the pistol in his ankle holster. It was non-regulation, but it had always made him feel secure to have the second weapon.

Saena saw his actions and immediately understood their meaning. With alarming speed she pulled a pistol from her purse, leapt around the table, wrapped one arm around her daughter's neck and yanked her backwards. The move was so totally unexpected that she had backed herself safely into a corner with Kyoko in front of her before anyone could react.

Now the agents who were scattered throughout the room threw off all pretense They drew their weapons and aimed them at mother and daughter.

Lory Takarada was a lover, not a violent man, and he was at a loss for what to do. "Saena, Kyoko's your daughter. You can't be like this." He started to rise.

"Don't you dare come any closer or this little brat dies!"

Nobody moved. For a moment Kyoko's public persona began to slip, not from fright, but from the idea that her own mother could treat her so callously.

Then a tall figure enveloped in the wrath of the gods stepped through the front door and began storming down the aisle towards them, careless of his own danger.

Kyoko saw him coming. She understood his danger. She knew now, beyond a shadow of a doubt that the woman who she used to call mother was capable of shooting Tsuruga down. She was capable of gunning _the man that Kyoko loved_ down without a second thought. And now all of the demons were back.

It is impossible, in retrospect, to say whether it was Mio, Natsu, Kyoko-ojou-sama, or some new figure from the depths of hell itself who suddenly grabbed Mogami Saena's pistol arm and squeezed so hard that the pistol fell uselessly from her numb fingers. Suddenly the victim was the attacker. The woman who had so casually discarded her weak daughter was held fast and helpless by her neck against the fake paneling of the restaurant wall.

Kyoko wasn't choking the woman at all. Instead the older woman felt as if her very soul was being sucked out of her failing body. She began going black, and might have been lost to this world forever if two strong arms hadn't wrapped around Kyoko and pulled her back.

Only Kuon, who had walked through hell itself as a teenager, could understand what was happening. And only Kuon could bring her back from the place where she had gone. He leaned over the trembling girl and whispered three words: "Don't leave me."

As she collapsed Ren scooped her into his arms and walked through the stunned crowd of agents out into the fresh November air.

* * * * * *

Special note to Kyoko-minion: I believe that you requested a stronger Kyoko. I hope that you like her.


	13. Chapter 13

**Convergence Zone**

**Disclaimer:** This series doesn't belong to me, but I am grateful to the people who do own it and continue to write such a captivating story.

**Teaser:** _Will Kyoko and Ren remain true to their feelings, and how will Ren finally reveal his true self to the woman he loves?_

**Chapter 13 – A golden night**

Lory Takarada watched the two young people on the other side of the limo with a quiet, paternal pride.

Less than a year before he had almost refused to let Tsuruga Ren play Katsuki because the boy didn't know how to love. Today Ren had been perfectly prepared to die in order to save the woman that he loved.

Not so long before that he had chosen Mogami Kyoko to be the first member of the LoveMe Section because she had lost the ability to love anyone. Today he had watched her eyes as she understood Ren's danger. He had watched her iron will turn her into the very goddess of vengeance as she turned on the woman who had once dominated the girl's existence. She had done it all to save the man who she loved.

And Ren's words, spoken so desperately, "Don't leave me."

The King of Love surveyed his prodigal children as they walked hand-in-hand back into his kingdom.

Of course, life is never so simple. Even though both Ren and Kyoko now understood and accepted their own feelings, they didn't yet know how the other person felt.

And there were still two secrets left unrevealed.

So there was much left unresolved as the trio was driven back to the mansion. As soon as they arrived the ladies whisked a frazzled Kyoko off to begin preparing her for the awards ceremony that evening.

Julie, the ultimate hostess, had laid on an afternoon of pampering for the ladies of the cast and crew. It began with steam rooms and saunas, was punctuated by expert massages, and was then capped of by a fashion show. Each of the ladies had the opportunity to prance down a walkway and bask in the admiring applause of her peers.

Kyoko, who loved beautiful things, was enchanted by the other girls and effusive in her praise. Moko-san and Maria were, of course, her favorites. Momose-san and Julie were definitely close runner-ups. She didn't even realize that her own walk down the runway was the real show-stealer. It wasn't just her public persona; there was something else that was new since this morning.

When there was finally free-time in the early afternoon, Kanae grabbed her friend and dragged her off to the garden. "Ok, girl, tell me."

"Tell you what, Moko-san?"

"Tell me why you have been floating around in faerie-land all afternoon."

"There isn't really anything to tell."

"That's it. I'm through. I'm catching the next flight home and you can just find yourself a new best friend!" As she turned to go, Kyoko hurriedly grabbed her friends arm.

"Please! Moko-san, please, I'll tell you what happened, but I'm a little confused about it myself."

Kanae was probably the only person in the world at that moment who Kyoko could have given the completely honest and revealing truth to. The brunette listened attentively. "Well, it's about time."

"Huh?"

"Don't give me that. It's about time that you finally realized that you are in love with him."

Kyoko looked at her friend with a stunned expression. She had not actually used the word "love" in her recitation. She had only talked about the fact that she couldn't let her mother harm the man… harm Ren.

"Don't you dare pull back now! You love him and he loves you and you both need to stop dancing around the truth!"

"He doesn't love me, Moko-san," Kyoko answered sadly. She even forgot to argue about her friend's assertion concerning her feelings. "He's in love with someone else."

"What! How do you know that? Did he tell you?" Kanae was angry now, worried that that playboy Tsuruga had been playing with her best friend's fragile heart.

"Well, not exactly."

"What does 'not exactly' mean?"

"Well… he told Bo. You see, when Ren was having difficulties with his Katsuki, he talked about it with Bo."

"You're telling me that the great Tsuruga Ren had deep personal conversations with a man-sized chicken?!"

"Yes."

"And what exactly did Tsuruga-san tell the chicken?"

"He said that he was in love with a high school girl, but that he couldn't tell her because she was four years younger than him. He said that it wouldn't be right."

Kanae looked at her friend, dumbfounded. It took her a moment to find her voice again, but when she did, she asked, "And did he ever tell you the name of this mystery high school girl?"

"No," Kyoko almost wailed in despair.

"Mo, Kyoko, you have to be the densest person I have ever met!"

"That's mean! How can you say that?"

"Kyoko-chan, do you go to high school?"

"Yes, of course. You know that."

"And how old are you?"

"Moko-san, you know how old…"

"JUST… answer the question."

"Seventeen."

"And how old is Tsuruga Ren?"

"Twenty-one. You know that too, you were there when I…"

"Hush! Now tell me, my dense friend, what is the difference in age between seventeen and twenty-one?"

"Four yea…"

(We'll leave our dense young friend to her moment of epiphany and take a few moments to seek out the other party in question)

Tsuruga Ren, a.k.a. Kuon, was seated with his father in the family's private tea room, overlooking the fountain at the front of the mansion. He had just told his father about his childhood acquaintance with Kyoko as "Corn" and the obvious difficulties that he now faced in revealing his secret.

Kuu had a bemused look on his face, "So that's why her Kuon seemed so much like your younger self. To think that you both met so long ago. I think that the Boss would describe that as the red-ribbon of fate."

Ren groaned, "unfortunately, there seems to be an even longer ribbon tying Fuuwa Sho and Kyoko. He just keeps showing up."

"Actually, Kuon, that ribbon ties all three of you together."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember the difficulties that I had with that woman stalker I told you about while we were visiting Kyoto?"

"Yes."

"That was Saena. And the thing that she was trying to blackmail me with was the trouble that you got into behind that middle school by the hotel."

"I never knew. I'm sorry for all of the troubles that I've caused you over the years."

Kuu waved a hand dismissively, "Water under the bridge. Your mother and I are both proud of who you've become. But that's not what I'm getting at."

"Please continue."

"Saena had me over a barrel. I don't know how she got such a complete copy of the report after I had made reparations and purchased the original, but she did. And then a little boy showed up at our hotel room door with the manila envelope that she had been flashing at me. That boy was the son of the hotel owners where the Mogami's were staying."

"Fuuwa Sho." Ren said this as a statement, and with a sinking feeling. Not only was he under obligation to Sho for the warning about Kyoko's mom; he was also indebted to him for his own reputation.

"There's another thing that you need to understand, Ren." Kuu continued with a serious expression.

"Saena knew about you. Everyone knew that we had a son. Suddenly that son disappeared. You can't hide that forever. How much longer are you going to continue to hide behind this mask?"

"Until I have been recognized for my own abilities completely without the benefit of your name, father."

"Would an Emmy for Best Performance by an Actor do the trick?"

* * *

On a seemingly insignificant side-note, there had been a loud outcry from the feminist movement before the Emmy's during the last year. Somebody had noticed that the awards were always presented to actors first, and then actresses. It was pointed out that this communicated the concept that the female awardees were somehow of less importance than the males. The producers, anxious to appease and not really too concerned about the issue, made the change. All of the nominees were notified of the change.

Tsuruga Ren remembered this new deviation from the norm as he lounged in his childhood room. Finally he made his decision.

* * *

Over 1,200 people, mostly professionals in the Television industry, attended the Emmy Awards. Great crowds gathered to watch their favorite stars stroll down the red carpet in the latest fashions.

Tsuruga Ren was significantly absent from the group as the cast of Dark Moon walked together down the carpet. Kyoko, beautifully dressed and completely masked in her public persona, drew a great amount of attention. But behind the public persona a very confused young lady took her seat and wished that Tsuruga Ren was there by her side. Having finally grasped the significance of her garden conversation with Moko-san, she now had no idea how to proceed.

Tsuruga Ren had accosted her several hours before their departure time and handed her a sealed envelope. After she had promised to wait to open the note until after the award for Best Performance by an Actress, he had brushed her cheek with a hand and hurried away.

She saw him now, standing at the back of the room. He was wearing a curious hat that looked like a cross between a cowboy hat and a Russian fur cap, complete with flaps that hung down on each side. Only her Tsuruga-sempai could make something as ridiculous as that look stylish.

The opening trumpets signaled the commencement of the event. Kyoko turned gracefully to focus on the platform. A comedian she had never heard of delivered one-liners that her cultural context didn't allow her to grasp. It didn't matter. Inside of her public persona she was floating in faerie land as she surveyed all of the beautiful people who filled the packed facility.

She was so enchanted that she almost missed the point where the announcers began to read off the nominees for the award for Best Drama Series in the Foreign Film category. She and Maria held hands as the envelope was opened. The announcers allowed for a pregnant pause. "The winner for Best Drama Series is: Dark Moon."

Kyoko clapped wildly as Director Ogata stepped out of his father's shadow once-and-for-all to walk up to the podium.

Several other awards followed, before tension returned to their table again. "The winner for Best Performance by an Actress is: Mogami Kyoko, as Mio in Dark Moon." Kyoko would never after that moment be able to explain or understand how she was able to maintain her public persona as she walked to the stage, accepted the award, and offered thanks to those who had helped her. She and her father had agreed that he would only be mentioned as the beloved president of her talent agency. She saw him sitting at a table with the Hizuri's, all three beaming with pride.

She had almost forgotten the envelope, but Ren had made Maria promise to prompt her as soon as she returned to the table. She opened it now, and took out a little cared, written in clear English:

"I promised myself that I would not tell the woman that I loved my true identity until I had finally flown past my father's fingers. Today, whether I win or lose, I will tell you the truth. With all of my love to you, Kyoko. Tsuruga Ren, a.k.a. "Corn" Hizuri.

Maria and Kanae were shaking her to try to get her attention. When she finally looked up, it was to see the magnificently blond Prince of the Faeries walk up to the stage to win his award and reveal his true identity at long last.


	14. Chapter 14

**Convergence Zone**

**Disclaimer:** This series doesn't belong to me.

**Teaser:** _Sometimes resolution is necessary in order to move on. Ren takes a major step to help Kyoko to achieve happiness._

**Chapter 14 – Forgiveness and finality**

The news was awash with two stories on the following morning: The first was the story of a major FBI bust in a local restaurant. The second was the story of the sudden and unexpected return of Kuon Hizuri. Shoko read the paper in amazement. But her focus was not on the story of Tsugura Ren's surprise revelation. It was on the photo of the FBI arrest. It was specifically on the figures that she could make out in the corner of the picture; not on the catatonic-looking Japanese woman being led off by the FBI. She had no doubt that what she saw in the corner of the picture was Tsugura Ren carrying Kyoko like a bride.

She was so absorbed in the article that it took her a moment to realize that the intercom of the suite was buzzing. The voice on the other end was immediately recognizable, "Shoko-san, could you please push the elevator button and let me come up?"

Shoko engaged the security feature of the suite, allowing the private elevator to descend. She had seen the confident, beautiful girl who stepped out a few minutes later twice on television, but she was still startled to encounter her in person. "Mogami-san, I really love your new look."

"Thank you, Shoko-san. Is he awake?"

"Yes, he is. I believe that he is working on a new song right now."

"I would like to speak with him in private, if I may. Don't worry, no histrionics this time. Would it be too much to ask if you could visit with Tsuruga-san downstairs?"

Shoko was shocked at the maturity and sophistication with which Kyoko had made this speech, "Certainly, Mogami-san. Umm, the story in the paper, about the FBI?"

"Yes," Kyoko replied sadly, "That was my mother. I would appreciate it if you kept that to yourself?"

"Certainly." Shoko took a moment to digest this infomation. But her mind was still focused on the picture.

Suddenly the pieces of the puzzle fit together. _She's here to say goodbye. _Shoko paused on her way to the elevator door, "Be gentle with him, Kyoko-chan. He still loves you, even if he has a lot of growing up to do."

Kyoko met the older woman's eyes with a peaceful, gentle look of her own. "I will, Shoko-san. I will. He was once a very important friend."

For the first time since that fateful day when Kyoko had overheard Sho's insulting words, there were no demons following her into his presence.

* * *

Kuon held the door open for the woman he loved forty minutes later. Sho watched them from the high window of his suite. He had taken her news surprisingly well. In the end they parted company with the possibility of future contact. Sho knew that it would have to be enough.

She never knew that he had been waiting outside of the estate on the previous morning when the trio had left. He had subverted an American band member to drive. Although he had not been able to get close to the restaurant, he had seen Ren rush in, and he had seen him carry Kyoko out. He had known at that moment that he had lost.


	15. Chapter 15

**Convergence Zone**

**Disclaimer:** This series doesn't belong to me.

**Teaser:** _A few closing lines after the story has ended._

**Epilogue**

The party at the Takarada mansion was even more spectacular then it had been the year before. It was now, and would continue to be the tradition that Kyoko and Maria hosted the party to thank everyone who had meant so much to them in the previous year.

**Special guests included**:

**Kotonami Kanae**, of course. She returned home to find an offer for a lead role waiting for her. Perhaps she will not be as far behind her friend as she originally feared. Of course the role is as a young missionary lady who has to protect twenty-three children. She and the children are stuck together, alone on an island after a Tsunami. She said that she would have to really think about it.

**Fuuwa Sho and his beautiful American date, Silvia Richards**. After his visit to the United States his fame and music sales have continued to soar.

**John and Analise Murphy**. She had an off-day at the shooting range on the day that she arrested Saena, but she kept her promise. The image of the goddess of vengeance would continue to haunt her for the rest of her life, but she just couldn't resist the invitation to Kyoko's party.

**The Fuwa's**. This was the first time since the young teens had run off that they had been able to meet together with their son and Kyoko. They couldn't completely hide their frustration with their son for letting Kyoko get away. They did like what they had seen so far of Silvia Richards.

**The Hizuri's.** Special arrangements had to be made to ensure that Kuu had enough to eat.

Yes, Bo was there, once again with another actor in the suit. Kuon remembered fondly the day when Kyoko had prostrated herself on the ground and told him that she was the person actually wore the suit. He had laughed so hard and long that she had needed to splash water on him to shock him enough so that he could catch a breath.

Reino was not there. Word on the street is that he had started a cult somewhere in New Zealand. Authorities are watching closely just in case the group starts stocking up on Kool-Aid.

Kuon returned to his brunette self for the return to Japan, where he will finish out his current commitments. He has offers for dramas and movies as both his blond and brunette selves.

At the stroke of midnight Ren/Kuon once again presented Kyoko with the Queen of Roses. This time there was a diamond engagement ring seated carefully in the center.

A great night was had by all.

* * * * *

I hope that at least some of you have enjoyed this story, such as it is.

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